Hood lock



A. A. MILLER Oct. 22, 1940.

Hoon Loox File@ ocx. 1s, 19.39' 2 sheets-sneer 1 INVENTOR. ATMM .Mz'ZZ'r/ L ATTORNEY Oct. 22, 1940.

` A. A. MILLER HOQD LOCK 2 Sheets-#Sheet 2 Filed 001'.. 18, 1939 o ma m .R A v.An L w f. Aw

Patented Oct'. 22, 1940 UNITED STATES Prirrirrr OFFICE This invention relates to a lock and more particularly to a lock adapted for use in connection with the actuating mechanism by'means of which fasteners for the hood of an automobile are moved to a releasing position when it is desired to raise the hood.

An automobile hood has side portions which are hinged so that they may be lifted when necessary and the hood sections or doors are secured by fasteners in the form of hooks engaged by rods extending from a disk carried by the shaft of a handle by means of which the shank and the disk are to be turned and the rods shifted longitudinally to move the hooks out of lengagement with keepers carried by the hood sections.

Often the hoods are released and raised by unauthorized persons and the engine tampered with intentionally or merely through curiosity and it is, therefore, one object of the invention to provide actuating means for the rods having associated therewith improved locking means serving to normally prevent turning of the shank by its handle and thus preventing unauthorized persons from releasing and raising the hood sections. f

Another object of the invention is to provide locking means of such construction that when its plunger is moved to a releasing position by a slidable grapple member and then moved to turn the shank and shift the hooks to releasing position, a lug or cam member carried by the shank will move the grapple member out of engagement with the plunger and allow the plunger to move toward a securing position. It will thus be seen that when the handle is again turned to rotate the shank and return the hooks to securing position afterclosing the hood section or door, the plunger may engage in a seat formed in a keeper plate carried by the shank and there will be no dangerof asperson forgetting to lock the actuating means for the hood securing hooks.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character wherein the grapple members or hook actuating devices at opposite sides of the hood 'are both adapted to be actuated from a rocker shaft extending transversely across the dashboard of the automobile, lock controlled means being provided for imparting turning movement to the rocker shaft and including a key actuated lock mounted through the instrument board where it cannot be tampered with when the doors of the automobile are closed and locked.

Another object of the invention is to so connect the draw rods for the plungers with the rocker shaft that by turning the shaft in one direction the right hand hood section or door may be released and the left hand hood section or door released when the rocker shaft is turned .in an opposite direction. It will thus be seen that by 5 inserting a key in the lock 'upon' .the instrument board and turning it in the'proper direction, the hood section at a predetermined-side of the hood may be released and, if sodesired, the key then turned in an opposite direction to release the 10 hood section at the other side of the hood.

Another object of the invention is to provide locking mechanism which may be used in connection with hood securing hooks of conventional form and associated with handles having their shanks rotatably mounted through the hood at opposite sides thereof in the usual positions.

Another object of the invention is to provide locking mechanism for hood sections which is simple in construction, easy to install and not 20 liable to get out of order.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a View partially in elevation and partially in section, showing the improved locking 25 mechanism installed.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the crank shaft and associated parts.

Fig. 3 is a view showing the hook actuating means and its lock in elevation. 30

Fig. 4 is a sectional View on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig` 5 is a sectional View on the line y5--5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 1 7 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, showing the .40 grapple moved to positionv to release the plunger as the handle and its shank are turned to move the hood engaging hooks to releasing position.

The engine hood, indicated in general by the numeral I, has the side walls 2 and the hingedly 45 mounted right and left hand hood sections or doors 3.k In order that the movable hood sections may be held closed each is provided with depending loops or anchoring members 4 and 5 for engagement by the billsfof hooks 6 and I l5() pivoted to the side walls of the hood. When the hooks are in the position shown in Fig. 1, the hood sections will be held closed but when the hooks are swung about their pivots to move their bills out of theanchoring members or loops 4 .65

and 5, the hood sections will be released and may be swung to opened position.

Each of the side walls carries a handle 8 having a threaded shank or shaft S rotatably passing through an opening Ill in the wall and having opposite side portions formed with flat side faces. A disk II is held upon the shank by a nut I2 and when the handle 8 is grasped and turned to rotate the shank the disk will be turned with the shank and rods I3 and I4 shifted longitudinally to move the hooks into or out of engagement with the loops 4 and 5, according to the direction in which the handle is turned.

The shank 9 passes through a lock casing I5 which has its back plate I6 secured against the side wall 2 formed with an extension II having a portion bent outwardly to provide a lip I8 formed with an opening I9. A keeper disk or block 20 which turns with the shank, is mounted about the same within the casing and, at vone point about its periphery, is formed with a no-tch or recess 2| to receive the plunger 22. This plunger is slidably mounted in the tubular extension 23 or auxiliary casing and urged toward the disk 20 by a spring 24 which forces the plunger into the recess or seat 2| when the handle is in the position shown in Figs. 4 and 6 to prevent turning of the handle and its shank. Therefore, the handle may not be turned and the hooks 4 and 5 will be retained in the loops 6 and I and the hood section or door held closed.

In order to permit the handle to be turned and the hooks shifted out of the loops by turning of the disk with the shank, there has been provided a grapple plate or strip 25 which is slidably received through the slot or opening I9 and has a hook or bill 26 at its inner end to engage a pin 2`| projecting from the plunger 22 through a slot 28 formed in the auxiliary casing 23. The inner end of the grapple is also formed with an elongated nose or arm 29 extending across a cam plate or disc 36 carried by the shank 9 between the casing I5 and the disk and turning with the shank. The outer portion of the grapple plate or strip is widened to form a shoulder 3| normally spaced rearwardly from the iiange I8 and adapted to engage the flange for limiting forward movement of the grapple. The rear end of the grapple is bent to form a flange or lip 32 through which a pull rod 33 is passed and secured by nuts 34.

When the pull rod is shifted'rearwardly to exert pull on the grapple, the hook or bill 23 exerts pull on the pin 2l to shift the plunger 22 rearwardly in the auxiliary housing 23 and out of the recess or seat 2|. The handle and its shank may then be turned to shift the rods I3 and I4 longitudinally and move the hooks and 'I to a releasing position permitting lifting of the hood section secured thereby. During this turning of the shank, the cam disc 33 turns with it and as this cam turns from the position of Fig. 7 Vto that shown in Fig. 8, the nose of the cam will act against the arm 29 to lift the grapple to the position shown in Fig. 8, and release the pin vso that the spring 24 may slide the plunger forwardly into engagement with the periphery of the disc or keeper 20. It will thus be seen that when the hood section is closed and the handle 8 turned in the proper direction to effect engagement of the hooks with the loops or anchors 4 and 5, the plunger will be freed from the grapple and the spring can return it into the seat 2| to lock the shank against turning and thus prevent turning of the handle to release the'hooks until the grapple has been again brought into engagement with the pin and pull exerted to shift the plunger rearwardly to a releasing position.

The rods 33 are to be individually acted upon in order to permit raising of the hood sections. In order to do so there has been provided a rocker shaft 35 which extends across the dashboard 33 transversely thereof and is rotatably mounted in bearings 3l. Ends of the rocker shaft are formed with crank arms 38 and 33, the crank 38 -extending upwardly and the crank 33 downwardly. The cranks are engaged through vertically disposed loops 43 at rear ends of the rods 33 and, from an inspection of Fig. 2, it will be readily seen that when the rocker shaft is turned in one direction, rearward pull will be exerted on one rod by the crank 38 while turning of the shaft in the opposite direction will cause the crank 33 to exert rearward pull on the other rod. Therefore, by turning the rocker shaft in a predetermined direction, pull may be exerted on a selected rod 33 and the grapple or" either the right hood locker the left hood lock may be effected. Since the shoulders 3| are normally spaced rearwardly from the iianges I8 one rod 33 may be moved forwardly while the other is being drawn rearwardly. It will thus be seen that either hood section 3 may be released and after one has been released, the other may be released by turning the rocker shaft in the opposite direction. A U-shaped crank extends from the rocker shaft midway its length and is disposed horizontally when the cranks 38 and 39 are extending vertically. A link or pitrnan 42 has its lower end loosely engaged about the crank 4| and its upper end loosely engaged with the side arm 43 of a shaft 44 which is rotatably received through a tube or sleeve 45 carried by the dashboard 36 and extending rearwardly therefrom. The rear end of the shaft 44 is fixed to the rotatable core of a lock 43 mounted through the instrument board and when the core of the lock is turned by a key 48, the shaft 44 will be turned and the link 42 shifted vertically to turn the lrocker shaft in a predetermined direction and exert rearward pull on a selected one of the rods 33. As the rod 33 is drawn rearwardly, the grapple to which it is attached is shifted rearwardly to draw the plunger 22 out of the seat 2| of the companion keeper disc 20 and the shank 9 may then be turned by its handle 8. As the shank is turned, the disk turnswith itand the rods I3 and I4 will move the hooks E vand 'I out of -engagement with the loops 4 and 5. The bills of the hooks have suicient play through the loops to allow this movement to take place. The hood section or door 3 may then beI raised. During rearward movement of the grapple its bill 23 remains in pulling engagement with `the pin 2l of the plunger but when the shank is turned to move the hooks to releasingv position, the cam 30 will be turned With the shank to lift the front end of the grapple to the position shown in Fig. 8, and the bill 26 will move out of engagement with the pin. The spring 24.,will then shift the plunger forwardly into engagement with the peripheral edge face of the keeper disk and when the hood section is closed and the handle 8 moved to turn the shank and cause the hooks to be again engaged through the loops 4 and 5, the plunger will enter the seat 2l and secure the shank against turning movement out of the position in which the hood section is held closed. It will thus be seen that the actuating lmeans for the hooks Will be locked in the position holding the hood section closed, even if the operator of the automobile should forgetto turn the key and shift the rod 33 forwardly after closing and securing-the yhood section- When the key is turned to shift the rod 33 forwardly, the spring 49 which is disposed about the rod-between the guide 50 and the abutment 5l carried by the rods, assists in moving the rrod.--Asthe rod movesfforwardly, the grapple moves with it and since the sloping lower edge of the bill rests on the pin 21, the grapple will be tilted upwardly and its lbill moved forwardly into position toagain engage the pin, as, shown in Fig, '7. The `key is then removed from the lock 45 andthe hood s-ection will be held closed until the key -is again inserted in the lock and turned to effect rearward pull upon the grapple. `In view-.of the fact that the lock 46 is mounted throughthe instrument board, access to it will be prevented when the door of the automobile is locked and unauthorized persons will be prevented from 'releasing and raising the hood sections even if they should have a keywhich will fit the lock.

'Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. In a device of the character described, a casing, a handle .having a shank rotatably received through said casing Iwith one end projecting therefrom, a keeper diskcarried by said v,

shank within said casingl and turning with the shank and formed with a' seat at' one point about its periphery, a plunger slidable in said casing and urged toward said keeper, a pin extending from said plunger through a slot in the casing, latch operating means including a member carried bythe projecting portion of said 4sltiank and turning therewith, a grapple slidably carried by said casing and having a bill for engaging said pin Yand a portion extending across the shank, means for shifting said grapple longitudinally to exert pull Yon said pin and shift the plunger out of the seat of said keeper and permit turning of the shank byits handle to actuate the latch operating means, and a cam carried by said shank and turning therewith to shift the grapple out of engagement with said pin and permit movement of the plunger into engagement with the keeper when the shank and the latch operating member carried thereby are turned in a latchreleasing direction.

2. In a device of the character described, a casing having a. portion constituting an auxiliary casing, a back plate for said casing having a guide projecting outwardly beyond the rearend of the auxiliary casing and formed with a slot, a handle having a shank rotatably engaged through thecasing with one end projecting outwardly v therefrom, a disk carried by and turning with the outer portion of said shank, means connected with said disk for moving latches to a releasing position when the shank is turned in one direcf tion, a keeper mounted about said shank within said casing to turn therewith and having a seat at one point about its periphery, a plunger slid-v ably mounted in said auxiliary casing and urged toward said keeper for engaging in the seat and vholding the shank against turning with the disposed in front of said pin* for engaging the pin and retracting the plunger when the grapple is shifted rearwardly, said grapple having an abutment for engaging the guide and. limiting forward movement of the grapplaa -pull rod connected with said grapple for drawing the grapple-rearwardly and retracting the plunger to permitturning of the shank and movement of the latches to releasing position, said cam acting on the forward portion of the grapple. as the shank is turned in the latchv releasing. direction to tilt the grapple upwardly and move its bill outof engagement with the pin and permit movement ofthe plunger forwardly into engagement with the keeperandinto the seat'thereof when the shank is turnedin an opposite direction to its initial position vand secure the shank against turning with. thelatches in the securing positionl I l 3.1m. a .device of the character described, a rotatably mounted shaft, means carried by said shaft for moving a latch from securing position to releasing positionwhen the shaft is turned in one direction, a keeper turning, with said shaft and having aseat, a plunger yieldably held in said seat to hold the shaft stationary with the latch in securing position, a grapple slidably mounted and tiltable into and out of` operative engagement with said plunger, means for shifting said grapple and moving the plunger to a retractedposition out of the seat and permitting turning of the shaft, and a cam carried by said shaft to turn therewith andzengaging said grapple .to tilt the grapple out of operative engagement withthe plunger as the shaft is turned in a means comprising.' a keepercarried by said shaft n and provided with a seat, `a plunger yieldably held in positionto engage ythe keeper landventer the seat, a grapple slidably mounted and tiltable into and out of operativev engagement with said plunger, means for shifting said grapple longitudinally to retract the plunger and permit turning of the shaft in a direction to move the latch to a releasing position, and a cam carried by said shaft and moving therewith to act upon.

said grapple and move the grapple out of engagement with the plunger as the shaft is turned in a direction to move the latch to a releasing position and permit movement'of the plunger into engagement with the keeper forv entering the seat and securing the shaft stationary when the shaft is turn-ed to a position restoring the latch to securing position.

5. A latch operating device including a rotatable actuating shaft, and means for locking the shaft vstationary with the latch in securing position, said means comprising a plunger shiftable into and out of an extended position for locking the shaft, a grapple for engaging said plunger, said grapple being longitudinally shiftable to retract the plunger and movable vertically into and out ofv operativeengagement with the plunger, means for shifting the grapple longitudinally, and a cam moving withL said shaft and adapted to shift the grapple vertically out of operative engagement with the plunger and release the plunger to permit return of the plunger to extended position for securing the shaft stationary when the shaft is turned to a position restoring the latch to securing position.

6. A latch operating device including a rotatable actuating shaft, and means for locking the shaft stationary with the latch in a securing psition, said means comprising a plunger shiftable into and out of extended position for locking the shaft and yieldably held in extended position, a grapple shiftable longitudinally to retract the plunger and movable vertically into and out of operative engagement with the plunger, a rocker shaft rotatably mounted and having a vertical crank arm and a horizontal turning arm, a rod extending rearwardly from said grapple and having at its rear end a vertical loop loosely receiving said crank arm, a lock having a rotatable core, a turning shaft extending forwardly from said core axially thereof and having a crank at its front end, a link connecting the crank of the turning shaft with the turning arm of the rocker shaft to turn the rocker shaft and exert pull on said rod to retract the plunger when the core and the turning shaft are turned in a predetermined direction, and a cam carried by the actuating shaft and moving therewith and adaptedi to shift the grapple vertically out of operative engagement with the plunger and release the plunger to permit return of the plunger to extended position for securing the shaft stationary when the shaft is turned to a position restoring the latch to securing position.

'7. In a motor vehicle having a hood provided with door sections at opposite sides thereof mounted for movement into and out of closed position; fastener means for the door sections each having a lock associated therewith including a plunger movable from a locking position to a retracted position, rods for actuating said plungers extending longitudinally of the hood at opposite sides thereof, a rocker shaft extending transversely of the hood and having oppositely extending cranks at its ends, said rods having their rear ends loosely engaged vwith said cranks, and means for imparting rotary motion to said rocker shaft in a predetermined direction and shifting a selected one of said rods rearwardly to move a predetermined'plunger to a retracted position.

8. In a motor vehicle having a hood provided with door sections at opposite sides thereof mounted for movement into and out of closed position; fastener means for the door sections each having a lock associated therewith including a plunger movable from a locking position to a retracted position, rods for actuating said plungers extending longitudinally of the hood at opposite sides thereof, a rocker shaft extending transversely of the hood and having oppositely extending cranks at its ends, said rods having their rear ends loosely engaged with said cranks, a crank arm extending from said rocker shaft, a pitman link disposed vertically with its lower end engaged with the crank arm, and key controlled actuating means for shifting the link longitudinally in a predetermined direction and turning the rocker shaft to exert rearward pull on a predetermined one of the rods and move the plunger controlled thereby to retracted position.

9. In a motor vehicle having a hood provided with door sections at opposite sides thereof mounted for movement into and out of closed position; fastener means for the door sections each having a lock associated therewith including va plunger movable from a locking position to a retracted position, rods for actuating said plungers extending longitudinally of the hood at opposite sides thereof, a rocker shaft extending transversely of the hood vand having oppositely extending cranks at its ends, said rods having their rear ends loosely engaged with said cranks, a crank arm extending from said rocker shaft, a pitman link disposed vertically with its lower end engaged with the crank arm, a lock having a rotatable key-actuated core, and a rod extending from the core of said lock axially thereof and provided with a side arm engaged with the upper end of said link for shifting the link longitudinally and turning the rocker shaft in a predetermined direction to exert rearward pull on a predetermined rod and move the plunger controlled thereby to retracted position.

ARTHUR A. MILLER 

